Parliamentary committee of inquiry into Tax structures is set to work

The House of Representatives will conduct its very first parliamentary interrogation, a recently introduced shortened parliamentary inquiry. On Wednesday 14 December 2016 the Parliamentary committee of inquiry into Tax structures designated Mr Ed Groot to chair the committee.

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Gaining insight into trust offices and the tax consulting practice

The House wants to gain more insight into the working methods of trust offices and the tax consulting practice, as well as the effectiveness of today's supervision of this sector. That is why a parliamentary interrogation committee has been set up, which will focus on two separate issues:

the channelling of capital through Netherlands-based letterbox companies;

the diverting of private capital to foreign object companies.

On Tuesday 11 October 2016, the House adopted a proposal put forward by MPs Ed Groot (Labour Party, PvdA) and Rik Grashoff (GroenLinks) to conduct a parliamentary interrogation about tax structures in which the Netherlands is involved. Earlier, on Monday 12 September, the committee for Finance had invited experts to a hearing held on the subject.

Members

The Parliamentary committee of inquiry into Tax structures has five members:

Mr Ed Groot (Labour Party, PvdA);

Mr Arnold Merkies (Socialist Party, SP);

Mr Wouter Koolmees (Liberal Democrats, D66);

Mr Eppo Bruins (ChristianUnion);

Mr Rik Grashoff (Green Left Party).

New instrument for the House

The parliamentary interrogation is a new instrument for the House, introduced on the recommendation of the temporary committee on the evaluation of the Parliamentary Inquiry Act. In the course of this shortened parliamentary inquiry, people are heard under oath and they are obliged to cooperate.